


Spider

by trivialsins



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Arachnophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-09-02 19:21:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8680324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trivialsins/pseuds/trivialsins
Summary: Hawke and Fenris are at Fenris' Mansion. A spider is there too.





	

"Hah. You can't throw me out."

That was true. Hawke was much larger and heavier than he was. Fenris seethed, scowling. He folded his arms. "Have it your way. Stay, if it means that much to you."

"Good. Sensible of you. I get the bed." The rotting wood of the bed made a pained, crushed sound when Hawke laid on it. Hawke was not light and he was planning to sleep in his armour. It might be worth it to see what happened and how Hawke could be made to pay if the bed broke. 

It might not break. Fenris was not sure. He hardly used the bed, not even to sit on. He laid on it the rare times he could see the moon through the holes in his roof from its vantage point, and only if it was dry. Every time it rained water splashed on it. The mattress was mouldy and smelled.

Hawke turned on his side and the bed cracked alarmingly. He smirked at Fenris, an open challenge, obviously planning his amusements for the evening. There was nowhere else to sleep in the room except the floor, and it was filthy. Fenris never bothered to clean it. Hawke expected to be joined on the narrow bed for a night of cramped and awkward struggling for space, during which Fenris would, no doubt, be repeatedly dumped on the floor as punishment for some slight or other, since he and his armour were lighter. 

The idea was tempting. Fenris half smiled, amused. It would not be as easy as Hawke supposed. However, there was no way from the sounds it made, that the bed would hold under their combined weight, and that took some of the fun out of Hawke's plan. A night of mock discomfort would be uncomfortable in truth if they had to sleep on the floor.

The thoughts were entertaining, but all of them were moot. Fenris needed to be alone. The unfinished and delayed of the past two days scraped at the edge of his consciousness. He needed to think in quiet. If he reassured Hawke, perhaps he would leave of his own accord. 

"Hawke, I do not sleep there."

"You don't?"

"Of course not; it is as you say; too open and vulnerable. It has been for many years. Did you honestly think I did?"

Hawke was taken aback. "I've always assumed you slept poorly. Have you looked in a mirror? You always have dark circles around your eyes."

That observation was uncomfortable. Fenris had not thought it showed that much. "I sometimes have difficulty sleeping," he admitted.

"Sometimes, you say?" Hawke looked disbelieving. "You must sleep somewhere. Where do you sleep?"

Fenris smiled. "I will show you."

His estate was like any other. The stone work was the outer wall, and the interior was plaster and wood. There was a gap between the stone and the inside wall so that water on the cool stone could condense, weep and evaporate without damaging the warmer interior. It was a wide gap, designed so that workmen could move easily, hide plumbing and create space for the deep fireplaces Kirkwallers seemed to love. In spots it was even wide enough for a dwarf. Fenris cared nothing for water damage. He cared nothing for the luxurious interior of Denarius' estate. Over the years he had built a number of bolt holes for himself. One of his places was close. He used the points on his gauntleted fingers to pry and pulled the panel away.

Hawke seemed quite curious, and abruptly Fenris hoped he had left this place neat. There was a good chance he had. He thought of these as his spaces, not Danarius'. He made his hand glow so Hawke would have light to see inside.

It was a small space, wide enough for a pallet and just long enough for him and a place to put his armour and some clothing. He'd walled it well. The rats had not found it. There was a pillow and a blanket, and an empty wine bottle he'd forgotten.

"This is where you sleep?" Hawke sounded astonished.

"One of them."

"I see." Hawke looked curiously around the space, noting the leather straps Fenris used to pull the panel tight behind him.

"I am quite well hidden when I want to be. If anyone comes I am not prepared for, they will not find me."

“You're boxed in. There's only one exit.”

“I'm not. The ceiling isn't fastened. There's a way up to the roof, and another into Darktown.”

Hawke looked up, and recoiled. Several orb spiders were making a home above the pallet, and there were others, the kind that ran and hunted, on the walls. "There are spiders in your bedroom." 

There were spiders in all of Fenris' secret places. "What of it?"

"Well, you know—they're spiders. Don't they bother you?"

"No. I like to watch them." He pulled off a gauntlet and caught one of the kind that liked to race, brown, about as big as his thumb, and heard Hawke gasp. The spider panicked and started to run. It wanted to run down, so Fenris tilted his hand so it always had a way to go that was down.

"Here," Fenris held it out. "Make a friend." The spider was running around and around his twisting hand.

"No thank you." Hawke backed up. He swallowed.

Fenris was surprised. He could sense fear. It was almost like he could smell it. Hawke was unreasonably fearful. It seemed a little extreme, given the dangers the man regularly and confidently faced. Hawke took chances that frightened Fenris, and that was no mean feat. 

Fenris had once heard humans could be unreasonably afraid of things like spiders, mice, and snakes, even fish. Being afraid of fish Fenris could somewhat understand. They stank, and their eyes were evil. 

Still, he found it hard to credit. It seemed very strange to him that small and defenceless animals could terrorize humans. Hawke's reaction was stranger still. The Champion of Kirkwall, the man who faced high dragons and had defeated the Qunari almost single-handed, seemed to be of the sort who were afraid of spiders.

Fenris' smile grew. He was not one to waste an opportunity.

Hawke saw. "Don't." he pleaded.

"Why not? He is very cute. Look at his little fangs." The spider paused on his palm, tired or discouraged. Fenris had made it run quite far. He held it out so Hawke could see it clearly. "This kind likes to jump."

Hawke recoiled. "Please don't hold it so close to me!"

"Champion," Fenris let reproach and disappointment over-colour his voice, rubbing it in, "Are you afraid of spiders?"

"You're enjoying this, aren't you."

Fenris smirked. "Yes."

He advanced on Hawke, spider first. "Since you are here surveying my defences, I might criticize yours. I do not like your laminar armour. There are gaps a weapon could find."

Hawke shrank from him. "Maker, Fenris, stop."

The spider decided to make a break. Fenris saw it tack down a line before it skittered to the edge of his palm and leaped. He raised his hand quickly and took in its line with the other as it dropped, managing to keep it.

Hawke quailed. He backed away quickly, stumbling over a loose tile.

The spider did what spiders do when the ground remains inexplicably far away and a captor uncomfortably close. It dangled, twisting, six inches from his fingers, doing spidery things, slowly bending and extending its legs, helplessly menacing. Hawke watched it with fascinated dread. It had gone sideways instead of toward Hawke, which was lucky. 

Smiling widely, Fenris maneuvered Hawke against a wall. He slowly held the dangling spider closer, relishing every moment, until it was inches from Hawke's chest.

"Fenris, if you value the life of your little friend—"

"Tsk, tsk." The situation called for a patronizing tone. "You expose me to magic all the time, even though you know it makes my skin crawl. You even take me to the fade and let Merrill use blood magic. As your friend, I think it time you faced your fears, and you have to admit I am qualified. I have much experience, and you have given me more."

Fenris wiggled his finger for emphasis. There was nothing on the end of the spider's string. "Oh? Where did it go?"

Hawke's body jerked. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"Fenris, if it's on me get it off. Please, Fenris. Get it off." Hawke's voice was gasping, thready and faint; Hawke was begging. Fenris rolled his eyes. This was pathetic.

"Hold still, I am looking. Do not be so afraid."

He made his hand glow and looked. Hawke was pressed against the wall. His palms were flat against it. Hawke's face was turned away from him and he was wincing with his eyes closed. It was an interesting look for him, one that Fenris had not seen before. He resolved to duplicate it at some point, but not with a spider. Love bites perhaps. Or cold hands.

"Ah. I found it; one moment." Fenris slid a finger along Hawke's armour, under a lame. Hawke quivered.

"It's quite quick." Fenris tried to make his voice sound sincere and apologetic. "Hawke, I was teasing. I'm sorry. But, I think you should take my advice about the armour."

He ran his finger under another lame along Hawke's abdomen.

"Fenris, for the love of all that's holy—"

That was enough. Fenris sighed. The spider was long gone. Fenris did not know where it was. It was not on Hawke; of that he was sure. He made a satisfied noise, as if he had caught it, and shook his head. Humans were odd.

"It is gone, Hawke. You may open your eyes."

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what this will turn into. I can think of loads of things to write about with spiders as a recurring theme. >;D I may change the rating to mature or explicit, depending on what I come up with, maybe add pairings, smut. I don't know for sure.


End file.
